Filling carrier for shuttleless looms



May 15, 1962 E. s. LlPsKY FLLING CARRIER FOR sHuTTLELEss Looms Filed April '7, 1960 INVEN TOR. E ual-:NE S. L/PsKY A ITam/E1(Y United States Patent O 3,034,540 FILLING CARRIER FOR SHUTTLELESS LOMS Eugene S. Lipsky, Hopedale, Mass., assigner to Draper Corporation, Hopedale, Mass., a corporation of Maine Filed Apr. 7, 1960, Ser. No. 20,779

Claims. (Cl. 139-122) This invention pertains to improvements in a lling carrier for use in shuttleless looms, that is, in looms of a type in which the filling yarn is supplied from a source outside of the shuttle or filling inserting means itself.

lt is ya general object of the invention to providev a positive and adjustable tensioning means within the filling extending carrier.

lt is a further object of the invention to provide as a tensioning means tension pads of the type commonly used in shuttle eyes of fly shuttle looms.

1t is a further object of the invention to provide a means for controlling the tension of the filling yarn as it is being drawn through 'the shed by providing a means for adjusting at least one of the tension pads.

lt is a further object of the invention to provide a filling extending carrier that will safely extend the end of an inserted loop of filling after transfer through the remaining portion of the shed without mishap such as un threading or short picks due lto improper yarn tension.

Other objects will become apparent from the following disclosure.

ln shuttleless looms, that is, the type of loom in which filling yarn is supplied from a separate source and is not carried to and fro through the shed by means of, a shuttle or the carrier itself, it is common practice'to insert each pick of filling by means of two reciprocating members one of which may be referred to as an inserter or inserting member and the other of which receives or has transferred to it a loop of filling yarn introduced by the -inserter and which may be referred to as the filling receiving or filling extending carrier. The latter member is usually provided with a hooked element by which the filling yarn is seized and trapped and through which the filling yarn may pass so that the action of this carrier is one of simply drawing through or extending an inserted loop of filling yarn, which will have been severed to a predetermined length, through the remainder of the shed to complete the pick. It is common practice in carriers of this design to employ some sort of tensioning means that functions cooperatively with the hooked element and to illustrate carriers of this type more clearly, reference is hereby directed to patents numbered 2,586,638 and 2,705,568.

The tensioning means employed by carriers hereinbefore described are usually made from a strip spring material in leaf form, one end of which is xedly positioned at approximately the center of the carrier with the leading end spring biased towards the forward section of the main body portion and hooked element of said carrier thus forming those elements which trap, tension and guide the inserted loop of lling as it is being extended.

According to the invention a filling receiving Iand extending carrier has been designed which employs in addition to the conventional leaf type spring attached at the front side of the carrier thereof, and which serves solely as a means of trapping a newly inserted loop of filling yarn, a pair of opposed tensionrpads floating and horizontally mounted within the forward part of the main body portion of the carrier itself. These tension pads are spring biased towards each other and at least one of said pads features a means for varying the amount of tension imposed.

The invention will hereinafter be described in greater detail by reference to the accompanying figures of drawing in which:

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FIG. 1 is a plan View of the lling receiving and extending carrier showing assembly `of opposed tension pads.

FIG. 2 is an elevation of that carrier shown in FIG. l.

FlG. 3 is a front end View of the carrier, the pads being omitted.

FIG. 4 is a sectional View taken on line 4 4 of HG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a modification of that carrier shown in FIG. 1.

Operation of so-called shutteless looms and the method employed for extending a length of lling through the shed formed by warp threads are well known to those familiar with this art; therefore it is considered suiiicient at this point to call attention to a number of patents which are representative of the type of loom to which the present invention can be applied.

Reference is hereby made to the information disclosed in patents numbered 1,515,102; 1,883,354; 2,191,- 376 and 2,604,123.

Now referring to the figures of drawing, exible carriers or tapes 1) are used to reciprocate the thread carrying members themselves which are caused to enter the shed and to be wtihdrawn therefrom; extending inwardly the carriers meet at a point somewhere adjacent to the center of the fabric at which the lling extending carrier meets the inserting carrier to transfer the filling yarn that is to be extended through the remainder of the shed as the carrier reverses its direction of travel.

Attached by some suitable means to the tape 1o is a filling gripping and extending member generally indicated by numeral 11 that comprises an L-shaped main body member 12 which at its forward end terminates in a point 13. Contiguous with the upper and forward portion of body member 12 a hook 14 is formed which blends into point 13 and which extends rearwardly a sufficient distance as shown in FIG. 1 to enable the assembly of tension pads 15 and 16 therebetween. These tension pads are floatingly mounted within the forward section of the carrier itself, and as mounted have their surfaces which guide the filling yarn therebetween bent outwardly at right angles to the body portion of the tension pads and which assemble in a floating manner in guide holes 17 and 1S. Adjacent to the forward end of the tension pads 15 and 16 holes `are provided through which a pin 19 of a somewhat smaller diameter passes and extends from either side thereof into holes 26 and 21 provided in main body member 12 and hook 14. Pin 19 is secured in any positive manner such as a drive fit in holes 20 and 21 to insure a proper iioating yassembly of the tension pads on said pin. These tension pads 15 and 16 have a means for Varying the tension that is exerted on a length of filling through use of small compression springs 22 and 23, FIG. 4, which rest in the outer cupped surfaces of the pads and at points approximately in the center of said pads. Spring 23 which bears against tension pad 16 has its opposite end seated in a slight recess 24 provided in hook member 14 approximately midway etween holes 18 and 21. Spring 22 which bears against tension pad 15 has its opposite end seated in a slight recess formed in the point or tip of a headless set screw 25. This set screw assembles in a threaded hole 26 at a point approximately midway betweenholes 17 and 20 of main body member 12 and in opposed relationship with the slight recess 24 provided in the hook member 14. Tension pads assembled in this manner are constantly urged inwardly towards each other; however the amount of tension being exerted can be varied by simply turning the set screw 25 inwardly or outwardly to obtain the desired amount of tension which the filling yarn will be subjected to as it is being extended.

Locking of the set screw in order to maintain a preset tension on the lling yarn may be accomplished in a number Vof Ways, one example of which may be seen in United Stateslatent No. 2,859,779. I

The iillinfT extending carrier generally indicated by numeral 11 has at its forward end a thread engaging surface 26 which curves gradually rearwardly and becomes tangent to the surface of hook member 14. Midway between point 13 land the outer surface of hook member 14- a thread channel 27 is provided through which or across which the filling yarn is drawn as it is being ex# tended through the remainder of the shed to complete the picking cycle. IIn a position located approximately centrally of the carrier itself a web-like sect-ion 28 extends laterally from the main body member 12 for the purpose of thereto a preformed leaf spring 29 which eX- tends towards the forward end of the carrier. As shown in FiG. the leaf spring 29 is spring biased at surface 14 that protrudes outwardly slightly from hook member i4 thus forming a thread entrance and trapping means 3@ therebetween as said spring extends forward and terminates adjacent to where the thread engaging surface 26 blends with hook member 14. Leaf spring 29 is secured Vto web 28 by means of two machine screws 31 and 32 which pass through web 28, thence through said leaf Vspring and assemble in the threaded hole in plate 33 which holes `are positioned in mating relationship with screws 31 and 32. Rearwardly of hook 14 and forward Vof web 2S a pocket 34 is formed into which the iilling yarn passes at time of transfer where it is trapped before Y is guided in such a manner as to be drawn between the tension pads 1S and 16 and thence through the thread channel 27. This thread channel also serves to insure that the tilling yarn will be drawn through the shed free from interference of the upper warp sheet during closing of the shed and withdrawal of the carrier therefrom.

`Vi/hile one embodiment and a modification of the invention have been disclosed, it is to be understood that the inventive concept may be carried out in a number of ways.` rIhis invention is, therefore, not to be limited to the precise details described, but is intended to embrace all variations and modifications thereof falling within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims.

i claim:

l. For a shuttieless loom, a iilling extending carrier for receiving a iilling yarn from an inserting carrier which has introduced said yarn part way into a shed and for extending that yarn through the remainder of said shed which comprises adjacent the forward end thereof substantially parallel, spaced front and rear body portions the carrier reverses its direction of travel and draws the iilling yarn between theV tension pads 15 and 16 and across thread channel 27 TheV trailing end 35 of the carrier itself tapers downwardly to blend with tape l0 to which it is attached while Vthe leading end of the tape tapers inwardly from both sides to conform dimensionally to the width of the carrier, FIGS. l and 2. Y

FIG. 5 shows a modified version of the carrier illustrated in FGS.' l and "4 in that a, single tension pad is employed for controllinfy the tension of the yarn. This tension pod'is assembled and controlled in the same manner as when using opposed pads, but is spring biased towards hook member i4 which in reality will also allow the filling yarn to be drawn under a predetermined amount of tension as it passes therebetween.

in operation, the carrier enters the shed formed by Vwarp threads without interference with these threads due to its forward surfaces being suiciently tapered as shown in Fl-G. 2. rThis carrier meets the inserting carrier at a point somewhere adjacent to the center of the shed and the filling yarn presented by that carrier is guided by the thread engaging surface 26 into the thread entrance defining an opening therebetween, a oatingly mounted tension means supported within said opening and biased toward one of said body portions, and a trapping member engageable with an outer surface of one of said body portions yand forming therewith a thread entrance and trapping means.

2. The filling extending carrier of claim 1 wherein said tension means is provided with means for adjusting the tension thereof. Y

3'. The iilling extending carrier of claim 1 wherein said tension means comprises a pair of opposed tension pads each of which is spring biased into pressing contact with the other. Y

4. The filling extending carrier of claim 3 wherein at least one of said pads is provided with means for adjusting the tension thereof. Y Y

5. The filling extending carrier of claim 1 wherein a pin is secured in said body portions across the forward end of said opening, said tensionmeans being oatingly mounted on said pin. Y

References Cited in the le of this patent UNrrnn srArns PATENTS 1,026,298 Blanchard May 14, 1912 1,436,783 SiX Nov. 28, 1922 2,586,638 Flamand Feb. 19, 1952 FOREGN PATENTS 880,819 Great Britain Sept. 3, 1958 

